Faltering Liverpool have nothing on Championship form side Forest - just ask the Royals.

Underdogs Reading might have won the hearts of the nation with an astonishing and deserved victory at Anfield in the FA Cup on Wednesday, but this was a different ball game.

Forest, fallen giants of English and European football, are on the up, although the sending-off of Nicky Shorey, a penalty conceded but saved and an impressive fightback gave them a second-half scare.

This was their 18th unbeaten league game, however, and the win moves them to within two points of leaders Newcastle.

And Billy Davies's battlers showed more class than Rafa Benitez's crumbling side - despite Shorey's heartache at being sent off against the side he graced for over seven years, only his second-ever red card.

Determination In fact, you saw both sides of Forest in this incident-packed clash.

The first half had them in total command as Paul Anderson and Robert Earnshaw scored two when it could easily have been four.

Then you saw their grit and determination after the break, with inspired keeper Lee Camp making two great saves to spoil Gunnar Thorvaldsson's debut.

Camp then made an excellent penalty stop from Brian Howard after Shorey tangled with Jimmy Kebe in the penalty area. It was Kebe who pinched one back for Reading in added time.

But overall, Davies's revamped and remarkable team were a cut above anything on display at Anfield as they confirmed their promotion pedigree.

But they also did some damage to Brian McDermott's job prospects. The caretaker boss hoped the Liverpool win might have worked wonders.

But this latest setback leaves him with just one win in six and clinging on as owner John Madejski takes his time appointing a successor to Brendan Rodgers as manager.

"I am just concentrating on training and our next match, against Burnley in the Cup," said McDermott. "Here we just didn't get going in the first half. We made a point of saying no excuses about fatigue, but you can't give two goals away like that against a good side.

"I thought we should have got something and would have done if we had scored 10 minutes earlier. We had two headers, a penalty and their keeper was man of the match."

Forest boss Davies said: "What do you say? We played so well for 45 minutes and should have been four or five goals up.

"Then 2-0 can be tricky. We had seen their energy at Liverpool and knew they could be a real handful. This game should have been over but there was a potential trap door."

Davies hailed his keeper as a possible England candidate and reiterated that this is a year too soon for Forest to go up, but admitted he's got a better side than the one he got promoted at Derby. He also insists he wants to strengthen the squad and that Shorey's loan from Villa could be extended.

Burst The first half was as one-sided a show as you get. It was all Forest with the Royals failing to test keeper Camp. The Reds quickly scored the goal their play warranted, and what a build-up.

Cohen started it with a delightful back heel to Earnshaw, who returned the compliment to send the winger clear.

As he burst away, Cohen drew the keeper then played a pass to the left where Anderson managed to finish emphatically. The expectant fans had to wait 30 minutes before the second goal from Earnshaw.

A great ball forward was met with a poor clearance from captain Ivar Ingimarsson which led to Radoslaw Majewski breaking into the box.

Just when it looked like he might be overwhelmed, he slipped the ball through and Earnshaw scored his eighth of the season to draw level with Dexter Blackstock as leading scorer.